Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Strange New World (That Has Such Creatures In It) ❯ Rain and Mist ( Chapter 6 )

Part Six

For a few seconds, Vegeta wasn't sure what had woken him up. He glanced around the room and saw Goku stirring the soup in the cauldron, so he couldn't have been asleep long. Jalen squirmed in his arms and he looked down. His son was licking at the blood between his small fingers and rubbing his hair against Vegeta's arm. Dried flakes of blood sprinkled his skin.

Of course, Raditz had said he couldn't rinse him off before, hadn't he? The blood he'd been born from had dried on his skin and was starting to itch. Vegeta frowned. The nursery had its own hot spring, but it was on the other side of the room, far out of his reach. Then again, it would've been out of his reach if it were right next to the bed.

Jalen squirmed again. He would have to be bathed, no help for it, but... Vegeta glanced at his mate. Goku had replaced the top on the cauldron and now sat beside it, prodding the burning wood beneath with tiny ki bursts. The fire had died to a warm glow of charred embers, but licks of flame danced up as Goku worked, keeping the heat alive. He sat with his back to Vegeta, shoulders hunched.

The bundle in his arms kicked once. Jalen was coming close to tears and would not let him hesitate any longer. He took a deep breath.

"Kakarrot."

Careful to heed Nappa's advice, Goku only turned his head slowly over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"I..." Vegeta kept his eyes fixed on Jalen, he would not look at anything else. "Jalen needs to be bathed. I...I can't."

"Oh." Leaving the soup on a low flame, Goku stood and looked at the spring across the room, then back at his mate. He thought about carrying Vegeta there, but that would only reopen the gash across his stomach. "Okay."

It's only Kakarrot, it's only Kakarrot, Vegeta told himself, but he couldn't stop his hands from trembling as he handed his son to his mate. A cold chill ran across his skin as Goku stood up and carried his son to the spring. Goku knelt at the spring's edge, disappearing from Vegeta's sight, but as much as the prince wanted to sit up, the gash on his stomach wouldn't let him. He lay back and closed his eyes, listening to Jalen's splashing and Goku's soft voice.

The spring water was so clear Goku first wondered if it was actually there. Ripples from the bubbling font seemed to hover in the air, and crystal formations embedded in the rock sparkled. He put his free hand into the water first, startled when his hand found the surface in what looked like empty space. Jalen reached his hands out to the water, wondering why his parent was taking his sweet time about dipping him in. With a happy screech, he was set halfway in the warm water with more pouring over his head.

Goku couldn't help his laugh. "You look just like your father when he's wet," he said. "Almost like Trunks, too, except your hair's black."

Dried blood rinsed off of Jalen's skin until the water resembled red clouds. Goku wondered how they would clean the spring afterwards, but the clouds disappeared soon, seeping through a patch of porous rock at the very bottom. He realized the water had to go somewhere so it wouldn't overflow, but he wouldn't have noticed how it worked without something to color the water. Everyone had told him Saiyans weren't all that intelligent, a barbarous warrior race with no culture and only stolen technology, but this made him wonder. The Saiyans here seemed so comfortable with their rocky surroundings and everything seemed so molded to fit them and no one else that maybe warriors weren't as ignorant as he'd been told.

A powerful splash sent a wave of water into his face, drenching his hair and his shirt. After his initial gasp, he looked down at Jalen, who grinned and smacked the water again. This time Goku dodged, smiling in return.

"Oh, you're just like your father, sneaky and devious," he said, but he couldn't help laughing. "I can just hear you now. I will defeat you, Kakarrot, for you are a lowly third class--"

He stopped and stared at the far wall. With all his anxiety over his mate, he'd forgotten his rank. It hadn't come up yet, but he was sure it would. Would the king even allow a third class to be Vegeta's mate? Would he be shunted aside, the royal's dirty little secret? But Vegeta always said they respected power, so maybe it would be okay. But then Vegeta never called him anything but third class when he was angry. But then--

"No." He shook his head. He'd deal with that when it came up. All he was getting from it now was depressed.

He let Jalen play for awhile, but the boy soon tired and yawned. Goku took him out and dried him off and carried him back to Vegeta. At first he expected his mate's relief, or maybe even anger, but instead they found Vegeta fast asleep. Goku smiled and set Jalen down in the crook of his mate's arm. Without waking, Vegeta turned slightly to accommodate him and cradled Jalen, who also fell asleep.

Goku watched them awhile, gently touching Vegeta's hair. He was still pale, but he wasn't ashen anymore. Goku liked to watch his prince when he slept, relaxed and out of the grip of his all too frequent nightmares. It was his only glimpse of the man behind the angry fear, the man who'd sacrifice himself for an entire world, who'd sacrifice his pride and destroy everything left that tied him to his world on a slim chance to see justice done.

Who'd leave his only home to save his child.

He was covered in blood. Goku wondered why he hadn't noticed before. Maybe he was used to seeing Vegeta bloody. It wasn't so bad, Raditz had done the best job he could under the circumstances, but they'd had no water in that cave and couldn't rinse him off very well. Goku frowned. Even if he carried Vegeta to the spring, he still couldn't dip him in or else the bandages would get soaked. He looked around at the shelves carved into the wall. He'd need a bucket...and there was one on the middle shelf, as big as his head with handles built into it. He went and grabbed it, and found a thick cloth draped over its side.

"Wow," he said. "This place really does have everything I'll need."

After dipping the bucket in the spring, he brought it back over to the bed and set it on the floor. The low table was just right as a bench, and he sat down within perfect reach of his mate. He soaked the cloth and little by little began cleaning the blood away, starting first on the area surrounding the bandages and working towards his sides. Vegeta didn't wake, so either the water was the right temperature or he was absolutely exhausted.

"I don't think you got any sleep last night," Goku whispered. "And then giving birth like that..." He wrung out the cloth into the bucket and the water turned pink, then red. As he worked higher, he noticed Vegeta's right arm was half-covered in blood. No one had noticed since he'd been holding Jalen, but now with the baby snuggled against his side, it was obvious. Goku walked around the bed and knelt, scrubbing the blood off, especially under his sharp nails. He brought his mate's hand closer to his face. They were sharp, he'd known that already, but now that he thought about it... He looked from Vegeta's hand to the gash across his stomach. It was just about the right size.

He did it himself, he thought. Tore himself open. That was what his screaming was from.

Carefully finishing, Goku swept off the last bits of blood and wrung the cloth out again. He took it back to the spring and dumped it in, and in a few minutes the reddish water had turned clear again. After he washed the blood off his hands, he left the bucket by the spring and stood up, watching the pair in bed.

The soup was just about done, he could smell it. He gazed at his mate and son a little while longer, then went and put the flames out. The nearest window gave him a good view of Vegeta, so he sat in the sill and watched Saiyans fly back and forth from the castle, their arms full of wild fruits a bloodthirsty race would never have eaten.

*

"I wish Gohan had stayed," Raditz said. Beside him, Turles nodded.

"Yeah, it's fun to mess with him."

Most of the extended royal family sat in what looked like the castle's sunroom. Situated in a corner of the tallest spiral, sunlight streamed not through windows but broad gothic arches that went from the ceiling to the floor on three walls. Rather than being hot, though, the arches allowed the high altitude winds to stream past them and keep them cool.

Reclined on his stone seat, Trunks smirked at the pair. "He's a little overwhelmed. He's the one who adapted most to living on earth. It'll take him a little while to adjust."

Across from him, the king and Bardock shared a long bench, both shaded by an arch's shadow. The king sighed and shook his head.

"Being tormented as a child by you two doesn't help things, I'm sure."

Both brothers gave him an innocent look. "What?"

"I'm sure it doesn't," Trunks said, "but that's not the only reason. Kakarrot was dead for most of his upbringing, so his human mother raised him, and..." He glanced at Goten, who was flying around outside the arches and looking at the relief carvings on them. "She wanted him to be a scholar, not a fighter."

Turles sighed. "Explains why he's such a whiny brat." He yelped as Raditz smacked the back of his head. "Well, he is!"

"It's okay," Goten said, looking in for a moment. "That's a pretty good description."

"Wait a minute," Bardock said. "If Gohan's so odd, what about Goten? He seems normal enough."

He's insane in his own way, Trunks thought, but he didn't say it out loud. "Normal? Ask him about the butterflies sometimes."

"Aw, come on, I know they can't talk now."

"Yeah, now."

A snicker started from one of the Saiyans, he couldn't tell which, but after a few seconds it didn't matter as they all started laughing. Goten crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Trunks, who knew something bad was coming but didn't know what it was.

"You wanna talk insane? How about inheriting your mother's fashion sense? If it wasn't for your dad and me, you wouldn't know how to dress yourself."

Bardock whooped. "I think that must run in his family."

That dig seemed to drive home with both Trunks and the king, but the other Saiyans started howling. Trunks opened his mouth to make a searing retort, but the king held up his hand. Best to keep things light-hearted when the players could destroy mountains.

"It's all right, Trunks, let them laugh," the king said. "At least insane is a step up from stupid."

"Hey!"

With a small laugh, Trunks turned his mind from Goten's side of the family to his own. "I wanted to ask you," he said to the king, "you said when my father recovers somewhat, I might see him, but I have no idea how long Saiyans take to recover. I'm not even quite clear on all the details."

All the Saiyans save the king suddenly grimaced and groaned. "Ugh," Bardock said, "Tezata talk." He yelped as Vegeta smacked the back of his head. "Ow!"

"You're just jealous you can't do it," he said. He looked at his mate's sons. "If you're so disgusted, you can leave now. Round up some of our best fighters and start teaching them to ascend."

"Whoa," Goten said. "You can ascend?"

"I can," Raditz said with a huge grin. "Wanna come see? Vegeta taught me."

"Beat it into him, more like," the king said. "Stay here for awhile, child. If Trunks needs a lesson in this, then you probably do, too. The rest of you, take off."

Duly dismissed, Raditz and Turles made quick bows and dived from the arched windows, flying towards the courtyard and the few dozen Saiyans focused more on fighting than screwing. After one last teasing snicker, Bardock followed them.

"Tezata?" Trunks asked. "You mean only some of us can give birth? How can you tell which ones?"

"Generally, we're smaller and more powerful. We have to be to survive the birthing. My son should've told you this, though I suppose since he and Kakarrot were the last, it's understandable he did not."

"Father...didn't talk about Vegetasei much. Or about his time with Frieza." He ran one hand through his hair. "Hell, we didn't even know he was pregnant until the night he disappeared."

"Vegeta has always been easy with secrets. He keeps them and finds them out like second nature. I wish he hadn't learned them so well..." He sighed and straightened in his seat. "Regardless, you need to know about tezatae, since I'm certain you are one."

"What about Goten?"

"Yeah, am I one?"

"Doubtful. Come here." When Goten was in arm's reach, the king put one hand on his stomach, just under his chestplate, and concentrated. A small glow covered Goten's abdomen, warm and soft, and then the king drew back.

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "You're barren, what we call diiratta. You can sire children, but not bear them. Which is good, since you have a tezata already."

"How can you be so sure?" Trunks asked.

"You're part of my bloodline, and the sons of Vegeta have always been tezatae. Besides which, you mentioned you had a human mother. That's two parents capable of birth. Goten may have had a human mother, but his diiratta Saiyan genes are inevitably dominant." He smiled and looked at the door to make sure no one was coming and that they were truly alone. "Now...a candid talk about tezatae, and don't you two let anyone know that the royal heirs knew nothing about it. Bardock's brood are foolish but they'll keep quiet, but if anyone else finds out, you'll never live it down."

*

Several miles away, in one of mountains that made up the Dragon's backbone, Gohan and Piccolo sat in the shade of broad, red-leafed tree. Out of the rays of the two suns, they kept comfortable in the cool breeze as they watched the clouds pass by. From their vantage point on a cliff high up on the mountain, they could easily see the creek that continued to cut the valley lower. A flock of black birds flew up out of the tree range, swung a broad semicircle and landed on the other side of the river.

"It's almost like earth," Gohan said. "There's clouds and rivers and trees...well, red ones, but there were red trees on earth, too."

"Nothing like this," Piccolo said. "Have you felt the ground without your gloves? It feels different, smoother."

Gohan slid his glove off and ran his fingers through the dirt. "You're right. It's...maybe smoother's a good word for it, I can't think of another one. Like melted plastic maybe, or styrafoam. It's probably got a higher silica percentage, not surprising with two suns."

"And look at the clouds," Piccolo said. "There's more of them. I bet this planet gets more rain than earth, maybe even monsoons."

"It would need it with all the heat. It would explain the stone houses. As long as they don't crack, they're easier to handle in a wet climate." He sighed and leaned on Piccolo's shoulder. "Heat's nice, though. I wonder if they have a winter."

Piccolo put his arm around Gohan's shoulders and hugged him tight. "Is your stomach feeling any better?"

"Yeah, it's settled a bit. I guess meeting the family took my mind off of it."

"Your family...now there's an odd bunch. Bardock looks so much like Goku they might be twins."

"And likewise for Vegeta and the king. Maybe it's a different kind of immortality, huh? Seeing your own features passed down from generation to generation. Like Goten's kids might look like him, too."

"Or like Trunks, but I see what you mean." He briefly wondered what a cross between a Saiyan and a Namek would look like, but the two methods of procreation were so different, eggs versus live birth. He stared at the small river below them, a curving stream of silver twisting toward the horizon. "Raditz looked different."

"You mean he wasn't acting like a blood-thirsty sadistic psychopath? No, he wasn't." He frowned in thought. "I wonder what that thing he keeps doing with his tail is. Every time he does it, I feel a little calmer."

"Maybe it's a kind of body language, tail talk. Keeping it wrapped around their waists would keep it from being grabbed and giving away their thoughts."

"Mm. Maybe. Him and Turles...they definitely acted different. Maybe Kigeta made them better this time."

"Or maybe they've calmed down." Piccolo sighed. "A lot of maybe's. And Gohan...if you're thinking about staying here, you'll have to confront them sooner or later. At least talk to them."

Not answering right away, Gohan slipped out of the Namek's grip and lay back on the grass, watching the clouds drift between the tree branches. A few seconds later, Piccolo lay down beside him. Gohan yawned and rolled on his side, using his mate's shoulder for a pillow.

"Mind if I take a nap? My sleep was kinda broken."

"Stomach?"

"That and dreams." He closed his eyes as he talked, his speech coming slower and slower. "Kept dreaming I was having a baby, only when I looked down at it, it was a cucumber with eyes."

Things fell into place suddenly. For Piccolo, it was as if the world became clear and everything made sense. Coming to terms with Gohan as a mate, whatever that meant to Saiyans, accepting that he may not return to earth save for brief visits, Gohan's sickness on the ship carrying over to land, and now this dream...

I don't look like a cucumber, was his first thought. Then he thought perhaps he was just jumping to conclusions and there was nothing unusual with Gohan. After all, how would a Namek and a Saiyan breed? Besides, Gohan always had weird dreams. Probably a side effect of all his power, it made him a little odd in the head. I'll ask Goku, he thought, when I see him again. Or maybe Trunks, but only if he promises not to tell anyone. I wonder if they have a library here...doubtful, but I could ask. It's probably nothing.

But what if it wasn't? And what if it was? He shook his head. No sense in worrying about it now. There was plenty of time ahead of them. He tilted his head so he could feel Gohan's hair brush against his cheek, and the breeze through the leaves lulled him to sleep.

*

In the afternoon, when the skies turned gray with thunderclouds lit only by an occasional flash of lightning, the rain started. Slow at first, a few big drops warned everyone to duck indoors, and a few minutes later the water came down in sheets, making everything a shade darker. The white houses lost their sparkle but the streets turned into carved creeks and rivers, channeling the water out of the city. No noise but the drone of the rain on stone.

A water droplet landed between Goku's eyes, startling him awake, and he looked up. The carvings on the outside of the castle guided the rain along the sides and away from the windows, but there was a chip off the spiral relief above him, allowing a small drip. He could see the next drop forming and moved before it could land on him.

Inside its cauldron, the tezra soup still simmered and bubbled, the thick froth at the top dripping slowly down the sides. He wiped one dollop off onto his finger and tasted it.

"Like chicken," he said. Almost. A copper tang accompanied it, as if the bird's blood was so potent it colored the flesh even when most of it had been pumped out. He was hungry, but he'd rather wait and see just how much Vegeta would eat before touching any of it. And he could always ask a passing Saiyan for some of those fruits.

Since he was already up, he walked around to stretch his legs and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He wondered when he'd fallen asleep. As he wandered closer to the spring, its rushing water caught his attention. The fountain flowed faster than it had before, more like a small waterfall now and splashing hard enough to dampen the floor around it. Probably had to do with the rain, he thought. It was louder, but still comforting. And it made him need to use the bathroom something awful.

When he was done, he wandered back to the table. He hadn't taken the time to actually look around, preoccupied with the birth and the hunt and the feeding of his upset mate, but now he could look beyond the necessary items in the shelves. There was the spring, yes, against the middle of the wall, and Vegeta's large, half-upright bed in the center of the room, his table/chair, the hearth, but there were other accoutrements as well.

A similar bed, if narrower and higher up off the ground, had been placed or carved next to one of the broad arched windows so someone could relax while they looked out. For a bedbound and bored tezata, he figured. Other low tables, more like benches, were scattered about wherever someone might need to sit, but especially near the beds, spring and hearth. And there was a crib next to the main bed that looked more like the doggie beds he'd seen on earth, only set up on a pedestal so it wasn't on the floor.

Now that he thought about it, what about the floor? There was no carpeting, and he wasn't about to let his son crawl on cold stone... He frowned. Had he actually felt any cold spots since he came? He put his hand on the floor. To his surprise, despite being out of the sun and near the ground, the castle stone was quite warm, almost like the castle itself was alive and breathing. Strange, he thought. This whole place is so strange.

Fast asleep, Jalen yawned and curled closer to his father. The motion was small but enough to wake Vegeta. He blinked a few times and wondered where he was and why he was sleeping upright. The dull pain in his stomach reminded him and his muscles tensed. Jalen, where was he? He looked down at his side and found him, safe and unharmed. He relaxed, still cursing himself for falling asleep. Then he noticed the rain and two silver glows behind the clouds, the suns already on the other side of the sky. How long was I asleep? he wondered.

"Most of the day," Goku said. He smiled and brushed a few limp strands of hair from Vegeta's face, pleased when he didn't snap or snarl. Either his mate was more exhausted than he looked or Goku was working his way back into his good graces. "You hungry?"

A range of emotions played through Vegeta's mind, annoyance that their bond was truly re-established, relief that his child was safe, but most of all a real sense of wounded pride that he couldn't tend to his own needs right now. He let out a ragged sigh and nodded once. He was served almost immediately and ate much the same way he had before. To his relief, Goku didn't try to make "light conversation" like he had done with his human friends, to fill the silence with useless chatter. Though he needed help eating, he wasn't humiliated any further by his mate's usual stupidity.

And then he realized he hadn't snarled at his mate. Goku's presence didn't frighten him as it had before. Certainly he was still wary of him, but the fear wasn't as tangible now. A good thing, since he was so dependent on him now. When he had finished eating, he lay back and sighed. The drumming rain threatened to put him back to sleep, but he shook his head clear. "Where is everyone?"

"Um...Trunks and Goten are with your father, Gohan and Piccolo are somewhere in the mountains. I think they got caught under a tree before the rain started."

"I doubt they'll mind. Nappa and Raditz?"

"Nappa's right outside the door standing guard, but I think he fell asleep. I can feel Raditz moving around with several other Saiyans outside."

"Bardock really is a slave driver, working them even in the rain."

"Bardock?" Goku's eyes opened wide. "You mean...my father?"

"Yes. I'm sure he's met our sons already. He'll probably drop by later or tomorrow. He must be eager to meet you." Vegeta stretched until it started to hurt, then turned on one side and curled slightly around Jalen, eyes drifting shut. Jalen chose that moment to wake up and give a loud "feed me" whimper. Before Goku could say anything, Vegeta had already sliced his hand open and held it to the child's mouth.

Sighing, Goku sat back and watched. Vegeta wouldn't let him feed Jalen, either that, or he was stubborn. A mix of both, most likely. But Vegeta didn't turn any more pale than he already was, and he didn't faint. Tomorrow he'd ask to feed their son, at least so his prince didn't keep losing so much blood. As soon as Jalen finished, he went back to sleep, his arms wrapped around his father's hand like it was a teddybear.

"He's slept all day. Will he sleep all night, too?" Goku asked in a whisper.

"Mm-hmm. He'll sleep most of the time for awhile. Enjoy the quiet while it lasts. I have a feeling this one's going to be all over the place."

"Yeah," Goku said. "I got a taste of it during his bath. He splashed me real good when I wasn't looking. And...geez, he's not even a full day old."

"Saiyans are born almost ready to go. This one's going to be handful soon...hopefully I'll be healed before then." He settled back against his pillow and couldn't help his smile as Goku pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. "Kakarrot..."

"Yes?"

"...I'm glad you came."

The familiar Son smile appeared for the first time in weeks.

*

Back in the Dragon's backbone, the creek swelled with rain and became a rapids, the rocks it had once crept around now swallowed up and turning the water a foamy white. Its roar came over the rain pounding on the tree leaves, but it only provided a backdrop for the pair underneath the dense canopy.

The cool rain, landing on the rocks and ground warmed by two suns, turned into a thick mist that slowly covered the valley as if the mountains were exhaling, until all that was visible were the tops of the tallest trees. Gohan and Piccolo lay within the mist, their soaked clothes forgotten in a pile. A light sheen covered their bodies. Without opening his eyes, Gohan reached up to Piccolo's antennae, using the tiny drops of water to lubricate his hand as he massaged them. His namek groaned and put one arm around his waist, holding him tight against his body.

Cracking one eye open, Piccolo looked at the young demi-Saiyan next to him. The mist caught in his hair like diamonds, sparkling in the dim light. Gohan had his eyes closed, looking for all the world asleep, but his hand was obviously wide awake. His shorter body fit well against Piccolo's, his shorter legs wrapped around his and his feet brushing against his ankles. His head cushioned perfectly on the namek's shoulder.

"It'll be getting dark soon," he whispered.

"Yeah..." Gohan only snuggled closer. "I wonder what the moon looks like here."

"It's Vegetasei, remember? No moon for eight years."

"Oh yeah...that's too bad."

"Better than having a bunch of oozaru running around."

"I dunno. The planet seems big enough for 'em." He smiled and his hand relaxed as he started to drift asleep. "Maybe it's different when there's no enemy to fight."

"You're tired," Piccolo said, "that's why you're not thinking straight. But the suns are going down, and we don't know what kind of animals live out here. We'll be safer back at the castle."

Gohan gave a big yawn and stretched, then flopped bonelessly back against his mate. "Who cares? I'm the strongest thing out here...if something attacks, I'll just toss it off the cliff..."

What? Piccolo glanced down at him, but Gohan was already fast asleep. Since when did he start talking like that? Could it be something in the water? He relaxed again and stared at the clouds between the leaves. The rain had let up a little, but it was turning more into a steady drizzle than fading altogether. The mist would keep them covered and out of sight of any predators that were out in this weather. Hoping that no one would come looking for them, at least for a little while, he closed his eyes.

*

The rain was making Trunks sleepy. Being sprawled out on his bed didn't help, but the pillows were soft and the mattress firm and the surface so cool in the warm humidity that he didn't care that the suns hadn't yet set. He didn't want to think about tomorrow. He'd promised Raditz a demonstration fight with Goten, and while he was stronger, he'd been sitting at the helm of a ship for the better part of several weeks and his muscles still felt cramped. Goten seemed as fluid as ever and he did not want to lose to him in their first fight with Saiyans watching. His eyes narrowed as he heard Goten snickering in the bathroom. "Knock it off," he said. "It's not funny."

It only made Goten laugh louder. "You let me know when you feel your body burning," he said. "I'll take care of your swelling needs."

Stupid Goten, Trunks thought. Why'd he have to be there for that stupid talk? I coulda told him what he needed to know, and it wouldn't have been half as embarrassing.

The candles made the room glow softly, and he could make out Goten's shadow on the wall, projected there by the candles in the bathroom. His mate undressed, his silhouette stripping off each piece off slowly as if he knew Trunks were watching. Trunks decided. Sleep could wait. He swung his legs over the mattress and sat up, taking off his clothes as he walked to the bathroom. The water was cool, but it was a welcome break from the heat. Goten, already in the pool, waded over and draped himself over Trunks.

"It is funny," he said. "You're the one that's so smart, but you're the one who's gonna go into heat, too. I wonder what you'll look like, crawling over the bed, snarling at me." He leaned back so he could look into his mate's eyes. "Maybe like a little puppy."

"More like a starving wolf. And I hope you'll have enough stamina to last, otherwise..." He smirked. "I might have to find someone who can."

That wiped the smug grin off Goten's face. "You wouldn't."

"Remember what grandfather said. If the diiratta can't satisfy his mate, the tezata is within his rights to find someone who can. And he said there are plenty of unmated Saiyans out--"

Goten pounced on him, putting one hand beside Trunks to box him in and fisting his other hand in his mate's lavender hair. Trunks winced as Goten tightened his grip and tilted his head back, forcing him to stare into his eyes. "Don't you dare. If anyone else even thinks of having you, I'll rip their heart out. You're mine, you always will be mine."

"Aww...such sweet talk...must be something in the water here." Trunks put his arms around Goten's neck and drew him close. "A few more years and you'll get to prove it."

"How about I prove it right now?"

Their bodies slid closer together, sparkling in the soft candlelight, and the water did nothing to cool them down.

*

The rising heat made the king's chambers warmer than usual, but he didn't seem to mind. From his window he could see for hundreds of miles, all the way to the mountain ranges that led to the swamps. The mountains looked blurry, masked by mist. He sighed and began preparing for sleep.

"You don't think you're getting old until someone calls you grandfather," the king mumbled, hanging his cape on the back of a chair. "Children...to think they didn't even know about heat."

"Maybe they've never shown any signs," Bardock said, already in bed. "They seem rather tame, almost like pushovers."

"Probably just overwhelmed. They'll take awhile to settle into their new home. As for tame..." He smiled. "We'll see what their fights look like. I'm glad your Raditz got them to agree to a small battle."

"It'll be fun, seeing how well they fight. They can't be too powerful yet."

"They've both ascended. Don't underestimate them just because they're young." He sat on the side of the bed and looked out at the sky again. Breaks appeared in the clouds, letting him see patches of sky. The suns had set, the stars were out, and the rain was just a fine sprinkle sending currents of water around the castle spires.

Bardock rose up on one arm and watched his king. "You're still thinking about that asteroid."

"I can't help it. Part of me wants you to be wrong, but part of me knows you're right. The waiting is the worst, I think."

"Try not to worry." Bardock tugged on his mate's hand, encouraging him to lay down. "Kigeta must've known this would happen. He must have provided for it, I'm sure."

"Yes, but..." He sighed and his shoulders drooped. "We've just come back and already someone's trying to kill us."

"We'll deal with it," Bardock said. "It'll be all right, you'll see. We have a handful of legendary warriors now, and Vegeta will be healed soon."

"Vegeta..." He lowered his head. "My poor son. I'm amazed he's sane after the hell he's been through."

"Your line was designed to go through hell and back."

"True, but even so..."

Bardock looked away, through the windows and at the misty landscape. "Nappa mentioned that things were insane on Frieza's ship. He didn't get into specifics, just said that there were awful things they had to do, but that they were still the best things they could do."

"Well for him that he kept his mouth somewhat shut," Vegeta said. "You're part of this family, but he better not mention anything to anyone else."

"He won't. Was it that bad?"

Vegeta didn't answer. He blew out the last candle next to the bed and lay down, nestling against Bardock and allowing the other Saiyan to hold him. The darkness hid Bardock's frown. It was rare for the king to let himself be so vulnerable. He sometimes forgot that he and Vegeta lived in somewhat different worlds, that the king shouldered so much more weight of the society, of the planet. Having failed once, no doubt the king would feel that weight even more so. Still, Bardock would only allow himself to be turned into a living teddybear for this one particular royal and no one else. He squeezed his mate once and closed his eyes. Tomorrow the prince should be well enough to take visitors, and then he would finally meet the grown son he'd seen so many years ago. He sighed. Hopefully he wouldn't be as dense as his other two sons.

TBC...